80,000 Houses damaged in Cyclone, says Odisha Govt

Although Cyclone Hudhud almost spared Odisha and wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh off the Vizag coast, the Odisha Government has claimed that 80,000 houses in South Odisha have been damaged by the cyclone.

According to the government, 25,000 small huts in Koraput, 15,000 in Gajapati, 7,000 in Rayagada and 1,000 in Malkangiri districts have suffered extensive damages. Pottangi, Laxmipur, Nandpur, Mathili and Lamtaput areas were worst affected by the cyclone, which triggered devastation after 7 PM last night while moving towards Chhattisgarh.

The power, telecommunication and road traffic remain affected in these districts. Power services could be restored by tonight in district and block headquarters. However, it will take some time to restore the electric services in rural areas.

According to the Energy Department, 600 electric poles and 24 transformers were damaged by Cyclone Hudhud. In addition, 75 km of power lines have also suffered damages. During the cyclone, the government has claimed to have evacuated around 2,33,271 people to 2,029 shelters. As the situation is normal in Odisha, the government has dispatched 2 ODRAF, 20 NDRF teams and 30 fire tenders to Visakhapatnam to help in rescue and restoration activities.